Top Four Reasons for Taking a New Job

A recent Gallup poll of U.S. employees found the four most important reasons for taking a new job are to:

1. Improve work-life balance and personal wellbeing
2. Gain better pay or benefits
3. Achieve stability and job security
4. Work in a role that allows you to do what you do best

Employees are watching for or actively seeking new job opportunities at the highest rate since 2015, with more than half (51%) exploring new options. Organizations that align with these four expectations have a strong foundation for selling or reselling talented individuals in their workplace.

At the same time, employee satisfaction is at a record low, fueling what Gallup calls the Great Detachment: an era in which people are feeling increasingly disconnected from their employer. In turn, employees are feeling stuck with their discontent.

For employers, this means that while turnover numbers may have slowed, employee productivity concerns and future talent loss are hidden organizational risks. In addition, when employees feel detached from their work, organizational change initiatives are likely to meet indifference or resistance.

Understanding what employees value most in a job provides a strong foundation for improving an organization’s recruiting, retention and employee value-proposition strategies.